


secrets we keep

by the_crownless_queen



Series: in every universe (I choose you) [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-05-25 10:01:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14974820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_crownless_queen/pseuds/the_crownless_queen
Summary: Edgar's favorite customer might be a serial killer, but at least he's pretty.





	secrets we keep

**Author's Note:**

> Meet cute scenario: I work at the library, and you continuously ask me to help you find books on the most random topics; are you on some kind of quest?

Had anyone asked him five years ago what he would like to do in life, and Edgar would have probably answered with something like 'lawyer' or 'work in law enforcement like my mother'. In a pinch, he might have played with the idea of becoming a teacher like his father, but that was more of a vague thought than anything concrete.

And yet, here he was, five years later, working none of those jobs.

Instead, he had fallen in love with the summer job he'd taken at the local library half an hour away from the apartment he'd used in his first year of college, and he had shifted all his focus into ensuring he could work there full time one day.

So now he did.

The Badger's Hole, as everyone called the place, due to its pale white and yellow colors, didn't look like much, but it held treasures.

It also had its fair share of weird visitors.

Like Fabian Prewett.

(No, Edgar had not spied the name on the man's library card and then stalked him online to see what he could find.)

(Absolutely not. That would be immoral.)

(On a completely unrelated note, Fabian Prewett came from a small town in the middle of nowhere called Ottery St Catchpole, and he had one sister and one brother. A twin. He was, by his own words, 'desperately single', which Edgar valiantly tried not to think about.)

.

Fabian Prewett was handsome. He had a face that looked like it was made to smile, with laughter lines already taking shape around his eyes and mouth and earthy brown eyes that always sparkled with mirth.

He was Edgar's favorite — not that he was supposed to have favorites, but the heart wanted what it did — and not just for his looks, or even his personality.

No, what Edgar actually found the most interesting aspect about this visitor was that he always asked challenging questions.

He came twice a week, always on Mondays and Fridays and late in the morning, and he never asked for a book on a subject he'd already checked.

Last week, he'd asked Edgar if he had any books on London's sewage system in the late 1800s and had borrowed half a dozen books on early space travel, all the while returning a tome of obscure African myths and what he had borrowed after asking Edgar if he had any recommendations on 'the best ways to torture someone'.

"Maybe he's a serial killer," Amelia, his little sister, told him after the third time he reported on Fabian's odd requests. "That sounds like something that would happen to you," she adds, giving him that judging look Edgar could swear she was born wearing.

"It does," their brother, Edward, agreed. He patted Edgar consolingly on the arm. "At least he's hot — you'll have that to comfort you before you get cruelly murdered."

"If he makes a move, you mean," Amelia added.

Ugh, siblings. Why did they always have to be the worst?

.

There was always an odd feeling fluttering in Edgar's chest when he saw Fabian's red hair appear in between the shelves, even long before the man wandered to his workstation — not that he took long to do so anymore.

After some time, Edgar had determined that the feeling was a mixture of dread and excitement, which summed up Fabian's presence perfectly.

"Thank you for these," Fabian told him that day, pushing the pile of books on space travel toward Edgar. "These were very helpful."

His smile made Edgar's stomach flip. "You're welcome," he replied, proud of how steady his voice sounded. "Anything else you need today?"

Fabian hummed, eyes drifting away from Edgar's face and toward the rows of books. "Do you have anything on candy making?" he finally asked, eyes snapping back to Edgar's face.

Edgar barely blinked as he started typing Fabian's request into the library's search engine. "I'm sure we have something," he told him as they waited for the machine's answer.

Fabian smiled back. "Of course. You always do."

"Still not going to tell me why you need to know about candy making?" Edgar asked, hoping the light question would conceal the red now on his cheeks.

From the way Fabian's suddenly smirked, that didn't work.

"Nope," he replied, lips popping around the 'p'.

Jokingly, Edgar retorted, "Well, if you don't tell me soon I might have to start to believe my siblings' theory of you being a serial killer."

Fabian's bark of laughter resonated loudly in the silent library, and he immediately pressed a hand against his mouth, eyes shining with embarrassed shock.

"Don't worry," Edgar told him dryly, "I'm sure the librarian won't tell you anything as long as you don't do it again."

Fabian's shame turned into a glare, its heat burrowing under Edgar's skin. Fabian's shoulders kept shaking with restrained laughter, and Edgar allowed himself half a second of amusement before he told Fabian he had his results.

"Aisle B, two rows down. You should find what you're looking for there. I can show you," he added, desperate for the easy banter they had shared not to end.

Though he eyed him curiously at first, Fabian eventually nodded. "That sounds good."

Edgar nodded and called over one of his co-workers, signaling that he was going to help Fabian with his request.

She rolled her eyes at him as she nodded, and Edgar bit back a groan. He just knew he'd be in for some teasing now. What mattered most though was that she did replace him.

The Aisle the books were in wasn't far away — calling it an 'aisle' might be a bit pretentious, actually, but Edgar wasn't the one who had created that system — but they seemed to both agree to walk there as slowly as possible.

Hope, fragile and almost intangible, slowly rose in Edgar's chest.

"I'm not a serial killer, you know," Fabian said suddenly, lips pulled up in a teasing smirk.

"No kidding," Edgar replied with a huff of laughter.

"Hey, I could be one, if I wanted to," Fabian retorted, brow furrowed with mock offense. "I'd make a killing as a murderer."

Edgar choked on his own spit. "That was terrible."

"I thought it was rather clever, actually," Fabian replied, looking almost wounded.

Edgar rolled his eyes. "But anyway, you'd make a terrible serial killer."

"How do you know?"

Without him noticing, they had paused. they had reached their destination, but somehow the moment wasn't about that. Fabian's eyes wouldn't leave Edgar's, and Edgar wasn't anymore able to look away than him.

"I just do," he admitted softly, almost in a whisper.

Fabian's eyes softened and he boldly stepped forward. They now stood so close that Edgar could almost feel the heat radiating off Fabian's body. It made him shiver, heart skipping a beat in his chest.

"May I?" he asked, eyes dipping to Edgar's lips.

Not trusting his own words, Edgar merely nodded.

The kiss was all he had dreamed about and more. It was also wildly inappropriate, and so, Edgar (very) reluctantly broke it off.

"To be continued," he promised, half breathless.

Luckily, no one had seen them — though his replacement gave him a very pointed look when, later, Fabian left and Edgar watched him go.

"What?" he barked, crossing his arms defensively.

"Nothing," she replied with a laugh. "Nothing at all."

But it wasn't nothing, Edgar thought as his eyes followed Fabian's retreating back. It was the furthest thing from nothing there could be.


End file.
